Thousands of fishermen flock to the milky waters of the Matan Fadan River, a UNESCO heritage site, wading through the lush landscape in Argungu, northwestern Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu on Saturday joined thousands of spectators to cheer on competitors as they competed to catch the biggest fish despite security concerns disrupting some attendance.
The participants used only traditional methods, including hand-woven nets and Kailash gourds, with some demonstrating their power using bare hands. The waterways of Kebbi State were filled with woven nets and canoes as fishermen passed by.
This year’s champion landed a croaker fish weighing 59 kg (130 lb) and won a cash prize. Other participants sell their goods, stimulating the local economy.
The river remains closed throughout the year, supervised by an authority called Water Chief Sarkin Ruwa.
The fishing competition marked the pinnacle of the annual international fishing festival, which featured cultural performances including traditional wrestling and musical performances.
“I thank God that I got something to take home to eat for my family. I’m so happy I came,” Aliyu Muhammadu, a 63-year-old fisherman who took part in the competition, told the Associated Press news agency.
The festival began in 1934 as a symbol of peace between the broader Sokoto Caliphate – a vast 19th-century Islamic empire stretching from Nigeria to parts of modern-day Burkina Faso – and the previously resistant Argungu Emirate.
The festival, considered a symbol of unity, continued for decades until 2010, when it was suspended due to infrastructure problems and increasing northern Nigerian insecurity. It restarted briefly in 2020 before stopping again until this year.
Nigeria faces complex security challenges, especially in the north, where attacks have killed thousands in the past few years.
While Tinubu portrayed the return of the festival as a sign of stability, for many, it represents restored community pride.
“Our challenge now is that people are afraid to come. Many people do not attend events like before because of insecurity,” said Sarkin Ruwa Hussein Mukwashe of Argungu.
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